Good morning, NBC News readers.
The restrictive new electoral laws in Georgia sparked violent protests, more about American immigration policy and an unusual light show that ran in the Pacific Northwest last night.
Here’s what we’re looking at this Friday morning.
The Georgian legislature was arrested and withdrawn from the Capitol when the governor signed a new electoral law
Georgia State Troopers arrested Democratic Rep. Park Cannon Thursday after knocking on Republican Governor Brian Kemp’s door as he signed a controversial electoral law in a closed ceremony.
The video of the incident shows Cannon, who also works as a legislator in the Statehouse. She is handcuffed after knocking on Kemp’s door and pleads for transparency in the signing of the bill.
Cannon was removed from the Capitol and taken to Fulton County Jail, where police say she was charged with two state offenses.
She was released Thursday night, but the incident drew attention to the sweeping regulations that Georgia Republicans had enacted after weeks of debates over tightening electoral laws.
The new law adds a number of restrictions, from requiring ID cards for postal voting and reducing voting times to illegally giving food or water to voters.
Georgia is one of the first states to impose major electoral restrictions after last year’s elections. After two runoff elections in the state, the Democrats took control of the US Senate. Republican-controlled lawmakers introduced a series of bills to tighten electoral laws after former President Donald Trump lost the election and unfoundedly questioned the outcome.
The Georgia Democrats loudly opposed the bill being passed, and Stacey Abrams called the bill “nothing less than Jim Crow 2.0”.
The top stories from Friday
Jose Luis Gonzalez / Reuters
Analysis: America’s immigration crisis is self-inflicted. It doesn’t have to be.
Amid debates about the border, “dreamers” and sweeping immigration laws, experts say politics ignores the obvious: immigration laws need constant adjustment, reform and revision. “Immigration will go on and honestly from an economic point of view you want it to go on,” said one expert. By Suzanne Gamboa | Continue reading
Analysis: New title, same bid in the first White House press conference
During his first press conference as president, Joe Biden made a little bit of a mid-political message that mixed up some responses, NBC News senior national policy reporter Jonathan Allen wrote in a news analysis. In other words, the Biden who showed up for his first big press grill was exactly what Americans were expecting. By Jonathan Allen | Continue reading
If North Korea wanted to get America’s attention, it seems to have worked
Some experts believe Pyongyang’s high-profile rocket launches last week could aim to remind President Biden of North Korea’s destructive power and warn him to make a strong offer if nuclear negotiations resume. He seems to have noticed. By Alexander Smith | Continue reading
OPINION: HBO Max ‘The Runaway Bunny’ is emotionally intense, beautiful, and abstract.
A faithful adaptation of the beloved children’s book has more than enough for children to have fun and at the same time give parents a reason to look. By Sam Thielman | Continue reading
“Don’t buy!”: Top fashion brands in China are faced with failure and anger because of Uighur statements
Fashion brands like Nike and H&M face growing calls for boycotts in China as Beijing cracks down on allegations of human rights abuses against the country’s Uyghur Muslim minority with increasing ferocity. The backlash shows that international companies are trying to switch between the Western market and China’s 1.4 billion potential customers. By Adela Suliman | Continue reading
BETTER: It’s tax time. 4 things to remember that are different this year
While the tax deadline has been postponed from April 15 to May 17, the coronavirus pandemic has made filing more complicated. Here’s what you need to know. Posted by Kerry Breen | Continue reading
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Fun thing
A spectacular light show was seen in several northwestern states on Thursday evening, to the shock and amazement of many viewers.
Some thought it was a meteor, but the National Weather Service said it was likely debris from the Falcon 9 rocket. What do you think?
Read the story and watch the video.
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